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The Best Workout You Can Do When You Can't Do Much (Or Are Just Feeling a Little Lazy)

As you know, I'm still benched from my favorite cardio workouts lately, thanks to this sprained-ligament-from-P90X situation (the better the knee gets, the less embarrassed I feel!). But I still want to keep my energy levels up with exercise (and, I admit, don't want to squishify). Enter this brilliant mini-workout...

Warm Up Push-Ups: 2 minutes In plank position, bend the arms slowly until your chest is an inch from the ground: six counts down, hold for one count, then six counts up. Don’t stop. Do this for 1:30, then hold for 30 seconds with arms bent and chest one inch off the floor.

Plank: 1 minute Extend legs so that the inner thighs and glutes are tight. Rise up with hands and arms straight and shoulder-width apart, fingers pointing out. Stay in a straight line, legs together, from head to toe.

Side Plank: 1 minute each sideLean on one elbow, with top leg crossed in front of bottom leg. Keep body straight and lift hips up and hold. Repeat on the other side.

Teaser: 1 minute each side Sit sideways on the floor with your weight on one side of the pelvis. Place top foot in front of the bottom one. Rest upper body weight on the supporting arm. Lift pelvis away from the floor while straightening the legs, and raise the upper arm to shoulder height, fingers pointing toward the ceiling. Lift the pelvis as high as possible and rotate the trunk, stretching free arm under the body. Return to straight side plank position slowly (count of four twisting under, then count of four twisting back).

Hundreds: 1 minute Lie on your back. Lift your shoulders off the floor, arms straight, fingers pointed by your sides. Keep lower back flat on the floor. Life your legs with toes pointed to 90 degrees and contract your abs as hard as you can. Hold and pulse the arms up and down. Don’t let shoulders touch the floor. Do this for 30 seconds, then lower your legs to 60 degrees and continue to hold and pulse your arms. Keep toes pointed.

Hip Circles: 1 minuteSit in a V position, arms extended behind you and hands resting on the floor. Face fingers away from the body and support yourself lightly on your arms. Keep legs tightly together at a 60-degree angle to the floor with toes pointed. Shift the pelvis and legs as one unit to one side. Circle the legs down and around to the opposite side, the pelvis moves through the center to the opposite side, the legs and pelvis return to the starting position as one unit. Draw a circle with your toes. Count to eight very slowly, contracting lower abs.

The end and beginning of hip circles.

Cork Screw: 2 minutesLie on your back with your arms flat, hands next to your hips. Bring your legs up to 90 degrees. Shift the pelvis and both legs to one side, keeping the shoulders stable and relaxed. Circle the legs downward in an arc through the center and around the opposite side. Keep your lower back flat on the floor. Once the legs reach the opposite side of the circle, bring them back to 90-degree position. Alternate the direction of the circle. Do this in an eight-count circle, slow and controlled with a consistent contraction in the abs.

The corkscrew starts and ends likes this.

Step two of the corkscrew.

Do figure 8s with your legs until you're back at the starting position.

It's been a total joy hanging out with you this week, everyone. Miss Sarah is back from vacay on Monday. Have a great weekend--see you soon! xxx

How do you exercise when you’re feeling lazy—or not at the top of your game? What kind of workout will you be doing this weekend?